Overview
Working on a major nuclear power plant project, the Mechanical Valve Engineer will support the design review, acceptance, and construction delivery of safety-classified plant systems. The role forms part of the intelligent customer function on behalf of the project, ensuring valve-related design solutions meet nuclear safety, quality, and operational requirements.
Operating Environment
The Valve Engineer acts as the technical authority for reviewing and accepting design modifications raised during construction and ensuring technical justification from the responsible designer and contractors. The role involves managing interfaces between construction contractors, designers, equipment suppliers, commissioning teams, and nuclear safety stakeholders.
Working within project’s multidisciplinary engineering environment, the successful candidate will provide specialist expertise across the lifecycle of valve operations, from design review through installation, testing, commissioning, and handover.
Technical Scope
The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate knowledge and experience in several of the following areas:
- Nuclear-classified valve design and specification.
- Safety, isolation, control, pressure relief, and check valves.
- Motor-operated valves (MOVs), pneumatic valves, hydraulic actuators, and manual valve assemblies.
- Valve sizing, selection, and performance assessment.
- Pressure boundary integrity and valve qualification.
- Piping systems and valve interfaces.
- Mechanical equipment and process system integration.
- Valve maintenance, operability, and reliability engineering.
- Manufacturing, assembly, testing, and inspection of valves.
- Welding and pressure equipment regulations.
- Valve-related Instrumentation & Control (I&C) interfaces.
- Commissioning and operational readiness of valve systems.
Dimensions
The Joint Design Office is a large multidisciplinary engineering organisation supporting the project. As a Valve Engineer, you will interface regularly with:
- Responsible Designers.
- Turnkey Contractors.
- Construction and Installation Teams.
- Quality and Inspection Teams.
- Safety Case Engineers.
- Commissioning Engineers.
- Regulatory and Independent Oversight Bodies.
- Equipment Manufacturers and Supply Chain Partners.
Principal Accountabilities
- Develop and maintain an understanding of valve systems within the EPR design and their contribution to nuclear, environmental, and conventional safety functions.
- Review and assess valve-related design changes, technical queries, concessions, and non-conformances.
- Provide technical oversight to ensure compliance with nuclear safety, environmental, quality, and regulatory requirements.
- Support acceptance of construction and installation activities relating to valve systems.
- Ensure valve design, manufacture, testing, and installation comply with applicable codes, standards, and project specifications.
- Work collaboratively with Responsible Designers, contractors, suppliers, and internal stakeholders to resolve technical issues.
- Support commissioning activities and ensure valve performance requirements are met.
- Interface with regulators and independent assessment bodies as required.
- Coordinate specialist support from external organisations and subject matter experts.
- Contribute to lessons learned, technical risk management, and continuous improvement activities.
Nature and Scope
Working on behalf of the nuclear licensee, the Valve Engineer will use technical expertise and professional judgement to identify, assess, and resolve complex engineering issues arising during construction and commissioning. The role requires close collaboration with safety case teams, system designers, construction personnel, and equipment suppliers to ensure engineering requirements are properly justified, implemented, and maintained throughout the project lifecycle.
The successful candidate will act as a professional engineer responsible for reviewing supplier designs, protecting safety case compliance, and supporting delivery of critical project milestones.
